Alex Golesh should focus retaining Durkin, key Auburn players

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On Sunday morning, the news broke that Auburn had found their next head football coach in Alex Golesh. He is coming to Auburn after three seasons at South Florida where he was 23-15. The Bulls posted their best record under Golesh this season at 9-3. He now has the task of rebuilding an Auburn program that has not had a winning season since 2020. The Tigers were 6-4 that season, and parted ways with Gus Malzahn.

For any new head coach, hiring a staff is at the top of the list of important things to accomplish. With Golesh being an offensive coach, finding the right defensive coordinator will be key. Most Auburn fans would be happy if he retained D.J. Durkin as defensive coordinator. He did a fantastic job running the defense the last two seasons, and the players seem to enjoy playing for him.

According to Justin Hokanson of On3, the coaching search came down to either Golesh or Durkin after things fell apart with Jon Sumrall. Durkin was asked about his future at Auburn after the Tigers’ 27-20 loss in the Iron Bowl but put the attention back on the players.

Despite the 5-7 record, the Auburn Tigers do have talented players on the roster. Each of their seven losses were by 10 points or less. It had become a point of contention with former head coach Hugh Freeze, but the Tigers were “close”. They just need the right coach to get them over the hump in those close games.

Some of those talented players that Golesh and his staff will need to retain are wide receiver Cam Coleman, quarterback Deuce Knight, running back Jeremiah Cobb, and linebacker Xavier Atkins. Retaining Coleman, Knight, and Cobb would give the Tigers a formidable trio of offensive players for the 2026 season. After the Mercer game, fans could clearly see the talent of Knight and the future he could bring to the team. If Durkin is retained, it would be logical to see many players on defense return.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Phillip Jordan: Alex Golesh should keep DJ Durkin, key Auburn players

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